I Need You
by ShatteredSoulsOfTheDead
Summary: She kept him sane; she made him complete. Without her by his side, he felt lost and alone. He would get her back, and she would be his. She would always be his, and no one would take her away from him, not again.
1. Chapter 1

SSOTD: New story... I know I should probably update my others, but lately this has been in my head.

I've decided to do my Marik/Kagome story now, however, you can still choose on whether or not you want Light and Dark to be Ryou/Kagome/Marik.

Anyway, this one will be a new one for me. It's rated M for a reason... meaning that there will be lemons later on! ;D

Enjoy!

* * *

Prologue.

* * *

"Come on Ishizu!" Marik looked up at his sister in excitement, "Just a little bit longer! It's so cool out here."

The older girl sighed before racing to keep up with her younger brother. "We really should get back. We aren't even supposed to be up here, Marik."

He never slowed down, and she eventually lost sight of him. She searched in worry for a few moments before spotting him talking excitedly with a girl his age. Her hair was long and the color of night. As Ishizu walked closer, to get Marik so they could head back, she noticed bruises littering her uncovered skin, and her eyes, the color of the brightest sapphires, were dulled and misted.

She frowned as Marik asked why the girl looked upset. Her answer shocked her, though.

"I'm not upset, or even sad in that matter. I'm lost, and I don't wish to be where I am anymore." Her voice was soft, like the finest silk, and quiet hard to hear over the hustle and bustle of the market they were standing in.

"Why?" Marik asked, tilting his head in confusion as he leaned closer to her. "Out here is so amazing. It's so full of people and neat sights."

"Out in the open isn't nice." She whispered, wrapping slender arms around herself. "In fact, I think I'd rather be alone. That way I wouldn't ever get hurt."

"Come on Marik, we really need to get back." Ishizu took hold of his arm after the girl stopped speaking. Marik tugged his arm from her before looking up at her desperately.

"Just one more moment, please." Ishizu sighed and nodded.

"What's your name?" Marik asked the raven haired girl that had turned silent.

"... Kagome." She looked at him, "Your's is Marik?"

He nodded and smiled brightly. "It was nice to meet you. Maybe one day we can see each other again."

Kagome looked at him before hearing a gruff voice call her name. She winced when her father came sauntering up to her.

"Where the hell have you been?" He growled and yanked her back by her arm. "I told you not to go anywhere."

"I'm sorry..." Kagome whispered, tears filling her eyes. She blinked them back and looked at Marik, who had confusion lining his eyes. "Bye, Marik."

Before he could say anything, Ishizu covered his mouth with her hand and bid the two farewell, the guilt of leaving the younger girl in a painful situation caused her heart to burn.

It was clear that Kagome was abused, and it was clear that she was going to be hurt again.

.

.

They made it back to the tombs and hurriedly headed back inside, but it was clear that their father had noticed they had left. They searched through the halls until they came across their father and Odion, who was on the floor out cold with his back bleeding profusely.

Something in Marik snapped.

He lashed out and attacked his father. Stabbing him fourteen times with the Millennium Rod.

* * *

Weeks later Marik was finally returning to his normal self.

Another week passed and he asked Ishizu to take him to the market. His reasoning was because he wanted to try and find the girl he had seen last time.

He wanted to see Kagome.

With little resistance, and no fear that their father would find out, she agreed and got Odion to go with them.

.

.

.

Marik raced ahead of them, quickly going back to the place he had first met Kagome. Lately she had been filling his mind. Finally spotting her sitting in the sand and reading a chapter book. He rushed up to her while Odion and Ishizu watched from a distance.

"Hi!" Marik fell to his knees in front of the girl, shocking her from her reading. "How are you?"

Kagome closed the book, marking her place with a pressed flower, before moving to sit on her knees. "I'm okay I guess. How about you, Marik?"

He looked her over, taking note that the _fourteen_ bruises he had counted the last time he had seen her were completely gone, but others covered different places. He counted eight this time. "I'm okay..."

They sat and talked for hours, neither in any real hurry to move or leave. It wasn't until Ishizu came over to them that they realized just how late it was. The sun was setting and it was beginning to get rather cold outside.

He bade her a goodbye, and she did the same.

.

.

.

Every day, with or without his siblings, Marik went to the market to talk to Kagome. She made him feel things that he had never experienced. She kept him smiling, and whenever he was around her, he felt safe.

A year after meeting her, however, he stopped seeing her around. After a month of continuously going to the market to try and find her, he found out that she had left.

Someone took her to Japan to live.

Someone took her from _him_.

He snapped.

He couldn't sleep right for_ eight_ nights, every time he tried, the more hatred he felt.

How dare someone take what was his.

Someone would pay, and he would get_ his_ Kagome back.

* * *

SSOTD: Did NOT spell check, so sorry if there are any errors.

This wasn't meant to be long or anything, it was just meant to be a starting thing. Next chapter will be in their teens, and when Marik makes his debut in the series. Battle city, I think.

Hope you enjoyed, even though this wasn't very good. *Sweardrops*

Anyway

Review&Favorite&Follow, please!

Thanks!


	2. Chapter 2

SSOTD: Second chapter. Again, it's not going to be real long or anything, but more or less an intro to the official story.

A second Prologue, if you will.

Enjoy~

* * *

Chapter One

* * *

Kagome yawned, stretching high into the air before she was suddenly assaulted by a younger boy.

"Come on, Nii-chan!" He tugged her excitedly, "You need to get up. Yugi-sama and Tea-chan are here to get you."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Souta-kun, how many times has Yugi-kun asked you not to call him that?" She stood and rubbed her eyes before walking towards the bathroom that as just down the hall. "Tell them that I'll be down in a few. They're more than welcome to wait in the den."

Yes; it was just the two of them living in the large, spacey, apartment. After they had moved out of Higurashi Shrine, what had been their home for many years, Sesshoumaru, who had survived the Feudal Era, adopted them.

That itself, was a complicated story. Since Kun-Loon had never really been their birth mother, and Kagome was old enough to decide, they moved. Being around the well proved to be a painful duty to Kagome, so Kun-Loon agreed to letting them move into Sesshoumaru's care.

Another long story cut short, Sesshoumaru had them live there, close enough to where he could be there if he were needed, but far enough away to provide Kagome with comfort of not having to remember the past as often.

It was a nice arrangement. Unusually caring for Sesshoumaru, but it was a sweet gesture all together. They didn't get lonely because they had each other and Sesshoumaru often visited, anyway.

Kagome sighed, stepping out of the bathroom, completely dressed and ready for the long day ahead. It hadn't been long since Duelist Kingdom had ended, and hopefully life was going back to normal. Yugi's grandfather had been saved, Kaiba, who had a newly formed partnership with Taisho Corp, was reunited with his little brother, and they had all returned to Domino City.

It was a refreshing change and she was glad to see the families back together, and even if she didn't necessarily like Seto that much, she was glad to see Mokuba back in safe hands. After all, if it had been Souta in that situation, Pegasus would have been ended; simple as that, and not exactly by her hands.

Sesshoumaru could be very protective, of the both of them.

She walked down the down the hall and walked into the den to spot Yugi, Souta, and Tea talking enthusiastically. On their way to school, they would drop Souta off at the junior high school and then go to class themselves.

"Ready to go?" Kagome smiled, grabbing her bag. She kept her makeup like usual, simple black lined her eyes and dipped down a bit to her cheeks. It was something that she kept doing after moving here. She had worn the black around her eyes in Egypt and she would continue to here.

"Yeah!" Yugi jumped up, Souta and Tea following suit. "It's nice to be falling back into the normal, huh?"

Kagome smiled and nodded quickly. "Very much."

She had told them of her past adventures, and they had listened with intent interest. It was nice; to have someone outside her family that she could trust as she did.

* * *

After leaving the junior high school, Yugi, Kagome, and Tea made their way to their school, laughing and talking about really anything. They were making great time so they weren't in any real hurry. When Yugi stopped to get his fortune told, however, something felt off.

Kagome felt as if something was wrong with the soothsayer sitting at the table. She narrowed her eyes and cautiously followed behind Yugi. When he asked to see Yugi's Millennium Puzzle, the feeling got worse. The man's voice sounder oh-so familiar and she thought back.

After several minutes of cautious thinking, Yugi uneasily relented and handed his puzzle to the man sitting behind the crystal ball.

"Amazing..." The man whispered, his fingers gently gliding over the surface of the gold metal. Without much of a warning, the table flipped up, knocking the crystal back and onto the ground, shattering it into millions of pieces. The table itself collided with the three, and shoved them down to the ground.

"Hey!" Kagome shouted, "You creep!"

Yugi began to chase the man, calling back for them to go ahead. Tea said that she was going to get the others, and Kagome chased after Yugi.

Something was off with that man. Something dark. She would not let something happen to Yugi.

Finally catching up with him out side a warehouse, they looked at each other before cautiously going inside.

* * *

SSOTD: Finished that one, next will be a continuation of this one, but it should be longer.

I hope you enjoyed and I hope I got the errors out.

Review&Favorite&Follow.

Ilovethemallso. :3


	3. Chapter 3

SSOTD: Here it is! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday, whatever it might be that you all celebrate.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Two

* * *

Using their combined strength, Kagome and Yugi heaved the door open before sharing an uneasy look. Why would the thief lead them to where he was going to hide? Kagome took a cautious step into the building and followed close behind Yugi. They stopped walking and Kagome curled her hand around Yugi's wrist, her purple glow-in-the-dark nail polish providing the only light in the building.

"I have a really bad feeling about this." Kagome whispered to him. "We have to be careful."

Yugi looked up at her, Kagome only being two inches taller that him, before nodding. "You're right. Why would a thief want his victim to follow him? This must be a trap."

"And just when life was going back to normal." She sighed under her breath. "A girl can always dream, huh?"

They took a couple more steps, Kagome still holding on tightly to Yugi's wrist. After a year of being hunted by Naraku you learn to be overly-cautious when in a dark space. A dark aura surrounded the place, not quite as bad as Naraku's was, but it was still evil.

Even though the suffocating air of evil surrounded her and Yugi, she could still feel the presence of the puzzle. At least they were in the right place, right?

"Yugi," Kagome began softly again, "Can you feel the aura of the Millennium Puzzle?" She felt him nod against her, and she tried to see across the room in the dark. "Can you tell where it is? I can't see a thing, and I don't think my nail polish will light up anything further than an inch away from my nails."

Yugi resisted the urge to chuckle at her words. He could almost hear the pout in her voice, but now wasn't the time for amusement. "I can't. The bond between the spirit and me is too weak." He turned from her to stare in the blackness of the warehouse. "I know you're in here! Come out, now!"

A dark laugh echoed loudly around them before a voice called out, "Congratulations, little Yugi! You found me, or should I say I found you, and the Millennium Puzzle?" A light went on the in the building and it shone on the puzzle hanging loosely from a peg in something blue.

"Give my puzzle back to me!"

The thief snorted in half-hearted amusement. "It's not going to be that easy. If you want the puzzle back, you're going to have to fight me for it. You are I are going to duel, Yugi, and the winner gets to keep your Millennium item!" All the lights in the building went on and a large dueling stadium came into view. "What do you say, Yugi? Are you going to accept the challenge? I've been waiting for you for a _long_ time."

Yugi gritted his teeth. "Who are you, and what do you want with the Millennium Puzzle?"

"I desire the power your item contains with," he responded, "but according to the rules of it's ancient magic, I have to win it from you in a duel. As for who I am, let's just say that I am the one who will control your destiny as I have controlled others, and that I am not unfamiliar with the power of a Millennium item."

"You can't _force_ him duel you for something that is already his!" Kagome growled, finally getting fed up with the entire situation. "That doesn't even make any sense. If it is already his, what say in it do you even have!?"

Her comments showed to shock the man before he waved her off. "Shut your mouth, little girl. This doesn't concern you, so it's best if you just hold your tongue and stay out of the way."

"You can't talk to Kagome-chan that way!" Yugi clenched his fist and took a step in front of her. "She has a point, after all. If it's my puzzle, why should I even have to duel you?"

"Kagome...?" He trailed off for a brief second at the very uncommon name before focusing his gaze on her, scanning over the familiar face and nicely tanned skin. "Where are you from... Kagome?"

She narrowed her eyes, ignoring the softer tone his voice had suddenly adopted. "I don't see how that concerns you, you big creep! Give Yugi his puzzle back before I stop playing the role of a nice girl! I don't have any qualms about kicking your ass!"

He narrowed his eyes in response before ignoring her once more. "What do you say, little Yugi? How about I raise the stakes while I'm at it? If I win, the girl comes with me as well."

"That's it!" Kagome screamed, picking up a spare pipe and holding it like a baseball bat. "Yugi! You get your puzzle while I knock this jerk down a few pegs."

"Kagome-chan!" Yugi covered his eyes with his hand. He could practically see the flames burning around her at suddenly becoming a prize. "Calm down, please. I'm not about to let this guy get you."

"He can't just take your puzzle, smart off to me, and then say that I'm a prize!" Kagome growled, turning to face Yugi with the pipe still clenched tightly in her hand. "I can't even begin to count how many times that I've been something to win! I'm sick of it!"

"Still!" Yugi snatched the pipe from her hands, holding it behind his back and out of her reach, thankful that it was the only one laying around them. "You can't just beat a guy senseless." He scolded her, shaking his head while doing so.

"I have before, why can't I do it again?" Kagome muttered under her breath and crossed her arms, pouting like a child.

"It's illegal now."

"So is theft!" Kagome retorted, "and, while I might be wrong, so is making a girl a prize to be won in a card game!"

"Actually, I don't think there is a law against that." Yugi tapped his chin. "I don't think laws specify things about card games."

"You have got to be kidding me." Kagome muttered under her breath and eyed the pipe. "Can't I at least have my pipe back? For defense?"

"You won't need it." The man who had led them there spoke up again. "I have no intention of harming you."

"Please forgive me when saying _I DON'T TRUST YOU_!" Kagome hissed sarcastically.

"You're not getting this back, Kagome-chan." Yugi shook his head, "You're too violent to be trusted with anything that could be used as a weapon in your hands right now." He was fairly sure that if he could still hear the spirit, he would fully agree.

He accepted the duel, much to Kagome's ire, and approached the duel stadium.

_'My bond with the spirit is too weakened.'_ Yugi thought carefully to himself. _'Looks like I have to handle things on my own.'_ He looked over his shoulder to spot Kagome looking around for another pipe or whatever to use if it was needed. _'And this time it's not just the puzzle that's on the line. Kagome-chan's safety is, too!' _

Kagome looked up at him as the blue pedestal rose higher into the air. "Be careful Yugi! This guy has dark energy all over him!"

Yugi nodded. "I'll be fine, Kagome-chan!"

"Prepare to lose your precious puzzle." The thief taunted, a smirk in his voice. "Not to mention the girl that is your friend."

"I don't think so!" Yugi narrowed his eyes before looking down at the pipe he had set at his feet. Maybe he should have given it back to Kagome...

"Remember Yugi, I have seen your future, foretold your fate, and this duel will be your last. "He looked up, and Yugi could barely see light blue eyes.

As the duel started, Yugi wasted no time in getting a monster on the field. He summoned Celtic Guardian in attack mode before ending his turn.

"I place my monster in defense mode."

"What's the matter?" Yugi shouted out to him. "Don't have the courage to face me head on?"

"I don't need to." He responded. "You are the one who better go on the offensive if you want any hope of winning this duel and keeping your puzzle and Kagome."

Yugi attacked with his Celtic Guardian, but it activated his opponents Cyber Jar's ability. Both monsters were destroyed and they each had to draw five new cards. This time, Yugi placed his monster in defense mode while his opponent placed two monsters in attack mode; Mechanical Chaser and Ground Attacker Bugroth.

Kagome was sure the moment she saw the Cyber Jar, but the addition of the two new machine monsters on the field only made her theory more strong. There was no way around it! His voice, his familiar deck, and, though weak, his own aura. There was no mistaking it. This guy was Bandit Keith! Yugi seemed to have the same assumption and called him out to reveal himself.

He removed the hood he wore, the American Flag bandanna sitting on blond hair proved them right.

"He must of had one hell of a judgement change to become a fortune teller." Kagome called up at Yugi, "You know, before he stole your Puzzle, but..." She turned to look at Keith. "Why do you want me?"

"I'm not Bandit Keith." He responded, "I only speak through him since he's become my mind controlled slave."

"What do you mean?" Kagome shouted.

"You're mind-controlled slave?" Yugi questioned. "How can this be? Tell me!"

"After Bandit Keith was ejected by Pegasus from Duelist Kingdom he had to fight for his life against the harsh ocean waters. My followers and I were on our way to retrieve some very special items when we fished him out of the sea. I was in the market for a new mind of control, and Bandit Keith seemed like the perfect puppet so I thought, why not? Why, and as fate would have it, he led me straight to you; the boy who possessed the legendary Millennium Puzzle." He looked at Kagome before a smirk grew on Keith's face. "Not to mention I was led to you, as well. After I win this, I'll have you back at my side, Kagome! Fate works rather beautifully sometimes, huh, my dear?"

Kagome growled. "I am not your dear nor will I ever be. You're hiding behind Keith! I have no clue who the hell you even are!"

He chuckled. "All in time. Let the duel continue. I play Machine King in attack mode. My new monster gets 100 attack points for every machine on the field. That's 300 more points added." He attacked and destroyed Yugi's face down card. "You may as well just give up now."

"This isn't over yet!" Yugi shouted. "I play another card in defense mode!"

Bandit Keith played another monster, Megasonic Eye, adding another 100 attack points to his Machine King. Machine King attacked and easily destroyed Yugi's face down card.

"I'm not giving up!" Yugi shouted before playing Curse of Dragon. "I have too much at stake to let you just win!" He also played Gaia the Fierce Knight before using Polymerization to create Gaia the Dragon Champion. He then attacked Mechanical Chaser, knocking Keith's life points down to 1250, and taking 100 attack points from Machine King.

Keith praised Yugi on his move before changing his weaker monsters to defense mode and playing Machine Conversion Factory, adding 300 attack and defense points to all of his monsters. He them attacked Yugi's monster with Machine King, taking 200 life points and leaving him with 1800.

"Your offensive is over, Yugi and your Champion is destroyed. I've made Keith's machines attack power overwhelming. Why don't you just stop resisting and hand over your Puzzle to me. It's the inevitable conclusion to our game, anyway."

Yugi ignored his taunting before playing Makiu, the Magical Mist. The card lowered Keith's monster attack power and rusted them. He them summoned Summon Skull. Summon Skull gained an attack boost, and attacked Machine King, knocking Keith's life points down to 500.

Keith played the card Graceful Charity, had drew the card Zera Ritual and the card it summoned; Zera the Mant. He sacrificed the two monsters he had on his side of the field before summoning the monster card. Zera the Mant destroyed Summon Skull.

"Give it up, Yugi." Keith said. "You don't have a card that is strong enough to destroy Zera."

"Come on, Yugi!" Kagome shouted up at him. "You can do it! You've faced worse than this creep!"

Yugi looked down at Kagome before nodding. He had to do it; something. He drew another card, but it wasn't not strong enough. He placed his monster in defense mode.

Keith took his turn, playing a monster, and then playing Stop Defense, bringing the monster Yugi played out of defense mode. He then attacked with Zera the Man, bringing Yugi's life points down to 400.

The duel continued. A few more turns later, Yugi was down to 100 life points and Keith had 250.

Keith played Tribute to the Doomed but Yugi managed to intercept it with The Living Arrow, bringing down Zera the Mant.

She had been watching the duel so intently, Kagome hadn't noticed it at first. Another dark presence had joined the room! She cautiously looked around before feeling something like a snap.

Over the course of the duel, she had been trying to break the hold this man had over Keith. She hadn't done it on her own, but it seemed that the second dark energy had provided her the assistance she had needed.

Bandit Keith came back to his senses.

A few moments of watching him fight back and forth with himself, Kagome and Yugi heard him cry out in terror.

"There's someone inside my _head_!"

Kagome could feel the true enemy trying to take control of Bandit Keith again. There was no way in hell that she was letting that happen.

"Nice try, you creep!" Kagome called out. "If you want to control Keith again, you have to get through me!" She wrapped her energy around him. She felt the dark energy wrap around her own, somewhat hesitantly, before she felt like she was being smothered. She fell to her knees, her own energy collapsing underneath the strength of the dark.

The man who had possessed Bandit Keith was stronger than he had let on.

"I will not allow someone to have what rightfully belongs to me!" Bandit Keith shouted, back under the control of the darker force. He raced over to the puzzle and smashed it into little pieces that needed to be solved. "This isn't the last you will hear of me, Yugi Moto! I will have the puzzle, and I will get my Kagome back from you!"

"That's quite enough of that!" Bakura shouted, finally letting himself he known as he swung from the higher level, knocking Bandit Keith off of the side of the duel arena.

"Where did you come from?" Yugi asked.

"Tea told me what happened." He helped Yugi pick up the scattered pieces while Kagome struggled over to where Keith lay.

She eyed him warily before jumping back to avoid being hit in the face.

After Bakura had headed back to school, Yugi was shocked from trying to removed the rest of the puzzle from where it lay suspended in air be Kagome's loud scream. He turned to see Kagome duck her head down to avoid being hit with a pipe Keith was swinging wildly around.

"Bandit Keith, stop!" Yugi shouted, watching in worry as the pipe hit an the control panel for the warehouse. Sparks flew into the air before a fire started.

"Yugi! You get the puzzle!" Kagome shouted as she jumped on Keith's back, wrapping her legs around his ribs and one of her arms around his neck as she reached for the pipe. "I'll handle him!"

The fire was getting bigger and Keith still hadn't settled down. Yugi looked at Kagome as he kept tugging at the puzzle. She didn't look to be faring well. Her eyes were hooded, but she kept trying to get the pipe from Keith. Her movements were sluggish, and she must have breathed in too much smoke. She needed to get out of there.

The door was kicked open and Yugi heard Joey and Tristan run up to him. He also heard Bandit Keith run from the building after Kagome had fell from his back.

"Get Kagome!" Yugi shouted and pointed over to where she lay out cold. "I'm not leaving without my puzzle."

Joey told Tristan to get her out of there while he stayed and helped Yugi removed the puzzle from the peg.

* * *

They woke up in the hospital, in the same room. Kagome woke up first, knocking Tristan and Joey's fighting to an end. She was in her pajamas; black pants and a lavender tank top with a black kitten on it.

Yugi woke up next and Tristan and Joey went on to bother him, leaving Kagome to her thoughts.

Who was that guy? And how did he know her? Was he an enemy that survived from the Feudal Era? She frowned and drew her knees up to her chest.

When Tea, Tristan, and Joey left the room to go get drinks for them all, Yugi called her out on her thinking.

"What's wrong, Kagome-chan?"

Kagome shrugged. "Just thinking."

He frowned and moved to sit at the foot of her bed. "Forget that creep for now. There is no way he'd get his hands on you."

"I'm not worried about that." She smiled lightly. "Besides, even if he does, Sesshoumaru wouldn't exactly play Mr. Nice Guy. He'd be out for blood. It's just... I don't even know how he knows me. I don't even know who he was. He wouldn't say, so what if he was an enemy from the Feudal Era and survived. More demons had to of survived. I know Sesshoumaru isn't the only one. If he is from back then, what now? He's after you and me both. What if he goes after the others? What if he goes after Souta?"

Kagome saw the spirit of the puzzle appear next to the bed.

"Do not worry, Kagome." He spoke calmly, as if the previous advents hadn't even happened. "If he is, in fact, an enemy from your past, I know that you are strong enough to defeat him. If not, then it does not matter. There is no way that I would allow something to happen to my friend."

"Yeah!" Yugi quickly agreed. "You're the only other one who can see the spirit. You're a miko. I know you can handle demons no problem. Even if this guy isn't a demon, I'm confident you can handle whatever he throws at you. I mean, after all, you are ready to beat Bandit Keith with a metal pipe earlier. Once we know who this guy is, he's going down."

Kagome smiled and nodded. "Right!"

* * *

SSOTD: Card games. Apparently you can bet to win girls in them. xD

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! I didn't spell chick, just so you know... so sorry if there are errors.

Review&&Favorite&&Follow!

ThanksSoMuch!***Heart***


	4. Chapter 4

SSOTD: My lip is in pain! xD I got it pierced Saturday night. It hurts a bit, but it looks soooo good. I can't wait until it completely heals. I'll be able to change the ring in approximately 6 weeks.

Disclaimer(I forgot to put it in the first chapter): I do not own Inuyasha or Yu-Gi-Oh!, nor do I own the song Scars by Papa Roach that is mentioned in this chapter.

Thank you for reading.

:3

* * *

Chapter Three

* * *

_~I tear my heart open, I sew myself shut. My weakness is that I care too much, and our scars remind us that the past is real. I tear myself open just to feel._  
_I tried to help you once, against my own advice. I saw you going down, but you never realized that you're drowning in the water. So I offered you my hand. Compassion's in my nature. Tonight is out last stand.~_

Kagome snapped her eyes open at the American song blaring from her radio sitting next to her head. She turned to glare at it before slamming her hand down on it. The song was Scars and it was by Papa Roach. It had used to be a favorite of hers, but now it only served to remind her.

It was true; The scars did remind her that the past was real. It was all too real.

She frowned before sitting up, reading the message on her phone. It was from late last night, but she had been too tired to even take a look at it.

It had been a couple days since the incident with Bandit Keith had occurred, and, so far, there had been no sight of the guy who had taken control of him. That's not like it's a bad thing or anything, but she still wished that they knew more about the guy. A name, at least. Then, maybe, she could remember him.

The message was from Yugi. She briefly remembered him telling her that the Pharaoh had no memories prior to when the puzzle had been put together the first time, and that Tea had tried her best to help Yugi cheer him up. Her eyes scanned the message, reading what he said, as she brushed her hair.

She frowned.

A greater evil was to come back, an evil that nearly destroyed the world way back then.

Kagome's mind immediately went to Naraku after she read that, but she steered herself into logical thinking. Naraku was a little over five-hundred years ago, not thousands. It couldn't be him. She let a breath of relief fall from her lips before she continued to read.

It was a Sunday, so they didn't have to worry about school. She sent him a quick message asking to meet her at the park. It was nearing ten in the morning, so she assumed he was awake before grabbing her jacket and throwing it over her shoulder in case she needed it later.

* * *

Kagome sank down on a vacant bench, sighing lightly under her breath. All around she could hear children screaming and laughing as she sat and waited for Yugi to show up. Nearly ten minutes later he sat down next to her with a bright smile.

"Hey Kagome-chan." Yugi started, snapping her from her inner musings.

"Hey." She offered him a smile back. "I got your message last night, but I read it when I woke up this morning. Pretty intense stuff."

Yugi nodded. "I don't think this is someone from the feudal era, Kagome-chan."

"I don't either, at least not as much as I used to. The warring states of Japan had nothing to do with Egypt, no matter how far back either one is. What does this person want with me? I have nothing to do with Ancient Egypt, I'm pretty positive of that."

The spirit of the puzzle appeared in front of Yugi and Kagome, watching as they silently thought to themselves. He waited a few minutes before interrupting their thinking.

"Might it be someone from before you moved to Japan?" Yami began calmly. "Whoever it is, he is familiar with the ancient customs."

Kagome sighed before shrugging her shoulders. "I don't know, maybe. To be honest, I don't really remember much of that. I was like nine or ten when I moved, and a lot happened when I fell down the well causing me to lose several memories. Even though it's been only, like, six years, I don't remember much. If I knew a name it might be easier to connect a face to it, but I'm not sure."

They nodded simultaneously and she hid her giggle. Yugi and the spirit were so alike, and, yet, they were so different from one another. It was quite humorous.

"Anyway," Kagome began after a moment, "lets forget about this guy for a little while. What's this Duel City Kaiba is doing?"

"Battle City." Yugi corrected.

"Big whoop." She rolled her eyes and stood up, the smaller male following suit. "What does it have to do with you? You mentioned it in the message you sent me, but you never really specified about it."

"Oh yeah." Yugi nodded at remembering that. "Well..."

A long explanation involving the current threat continued on as they walked down the street, meeting up with Joey, Tristan, and Tea as they did so.

At hearing of the competition, and not being invited himself, Joey went off in a rant. Kagome rolled her eyes, walking to stand next to him, as she looped her arm with his.

"Who ever said you couldn't enter yourself, Joey?"

As the lights went on in his head, she giggled and quickly removed her arm from his before he began to drag her down the street in his pursuit. Yugi still needed to register, so they might as well kill two birds with one stone.

As they walked into the shop, Kagome narrowed her eyes at the clerk sitting behind a computer as he greeted them cheerfully. Once again, dark energy filled the room, burning her slightly. She ignored it and walked up to the counter with the others.

Yugi had no issue when registering, but when Joey tried the man behind the counter said that he didn't qualify. Kagome tuned him out on his ranting as she warily eyed the clerk. She didn't know how much more of this she could take. It was as if she was standing in the same exact room as she had been when Yugi had been forced into dueling Bandit Keith. Not to mention the clerk was staring directly at her, even as he apologized and told Joey that his computer had glitched.

Joey qualified for the tournament. In the midst of his cheering, Kagome's phone went off, giving her a chance to get out of the room. Yugi sent her a worried glance at her hurry to get out, but she waved him off while pointing to her ringing phone. If she didn't answer when Sesshoumaru called her there would be trouble.

Kagome stepped outside, taking a deep breath before pressing the green button on the cell in her hand.

"What is it Sesshoumaru?"

A snort answered her. "I figured you would take any chance to get out of that store."

A hand reached and hung up her phone and Kagome turned to glare at the silver haired man. He clasped clawed fingers around the slick black material and he held it far from her reach.

"Why didn't you just come get me?"

"Why do that when I could just make you come out on your own?" He replied, humor lacing his voice. "Speaking of which, what's the difference between a door and a tree branch?"

"... I... I don't know." Kagome took a step back.

"Simple, a door won't fall out of a tree and kill you." He chuckled.

Kagome took a few more steps back, eyeing him in slight fear. Over the years, Sesshoumaru apparently had gained a sense of humor. Granted, most of the time it was very morbid and about death, but it was still a sense of humor. When he saw her fear, he chuckled again and rolled his eyes, holding out a bag and her phone.

"I came for visit today but Souta said you went out. He asked if I was going to hunt for you, and, if I was, for me to give you this."

She took it, pocketing her phone quickly, and looked at it in confusion. "What the hell is it?"

"Beats me." He shrugged. "I have to go. Be careful, especially after what happened last time."

She nodded, bowing slightly to him, before turning back to look in the store, watching as her friends prepared to leave and join her outside. It hadn't taken Sesshoumaru more than an hour to find out what had happened the other day. When she went home from the hospital early the next day he had been waiting with Souta. Hours of questions later he left.

It seemed that he had been visiting them more often than usual though.

She directed her attention down at the bag in her hand. Kagome opened it and looked though it.

There wasn't much in it, just a lighter, pocket knife, a medical kit, and a spare change of her clothes. A note was neatly tied around the folded shirt with a piece of yarn. The note read:

_'Kags,_

_This is just in case you get surrounded that weirdo that messed with you and Yugi last time. It's an emergency kit! The change of clothes are in case you get caught by yourself and things go bad before you can make it far enough away. Not that I don't think you could, but it's just a precaution if there are more that three or four of them. _  
_If you can't find a weapon, you now have a knife and a lighter, not to mention scissors and some other sharp stuff in the first aid kit._  
_I'll see you when you get home!_

_Souta.'_

Kagome smiled at the thoughtfulness of her younger brother. He was only thirteen, but he was a clever one. He even acted older that her sometimes.

She carefully placed the note back in the bag and zipped it up, being sure to close it completely so nothing would fall out.

"Everything okay?" Tea asked, "You walked out of there in such a hurry."

Kagome shook her head. "It's fine, Sesshoumaru just needed to talk to me and give me something and he didn't feel like going in there."

"So he called you?" Tristan asked, "That's pretty lazy of him."

Kagome nodded, "Yeah, but that's him for you." She looked at Joey holding the box that had the duel disk Kaiba had invented. "I take it everything is sorted out and that you and Yugi are completing in the tournament?"

Joey nodded proudly before they noticed just how late it was. The sun was beginning to fall.

Joey started going on about how he needed to get to the hospital to see his little sister, Serenity. They bade him a goodbye, telling him to wish her good luck for her surgery as he took off down the street.

"I don't think that I've ever met someone like him before." Kagome commented dryly once he was out of sight. The others nodded before going their own ways.

* * *

Kagome had never been more glad for the emergency kit Souta had made for her. The street she had to walk down in order to get home not only had a lot of broken street lights on it, but it was also surrounded by a lot of trees up until a certain point. If she hurried she would be out of the area with trees in almost five minutes, at most ten.

She tightened her grip on the strap of the bag and settled into a brisk pace as she went down the street. It was eerie. Everything was so quiet. A gust of wind froze her in her steps briefly and she quickly set the bag down at her feet so she could slip on her silver jacket, zipping it up half way.

Before she could make it another step, a crowd of people walked out in front of her. They wore dark capes, the same Bandit Keith had worn. Two stood in front of her and another two stood behind. Soon, two more came to cover either side of her. They all stood more than ten feet from her, though, and didn't take a step towards her.

"We were told no harm is to befall you." One of the men standing before began in a monotone voice. "However, if you don't come willingly, there shall be consequences, no matter what it is our master demands."

"Consequences?" Kagome cocked an eyebrow, grabbing the bag at her feet. "What makes you think that you saying that scares me? Because guess what? It doesn't. If anything, I find it absolutely hilarious."

They began to walk towards her and Kagome unzipped the bag, pulling out he pocket knife Souta had given her. It was about the size of her hand without the blade and it was colored a dark blue. "Now, come on guys. Don't make me get violent." She revealed the blade in the knife and held it out in front of her slightly, her thumb sliding across the edge gently. "When I get violent, I don't play nice."

At the sight of the blade being illuminated by the moon in the night sky, they came to a stop.

She smirked and folded her arms across her chest. "Your _"Master"_ couldn't even handle me himself so he sent wannabe goons after me? Is that why you all are here instead of him?" The taunting tone highlighting her words didn't fall on deaf ears.

"We were sent to retrieve you for when he arrives." One of the men behind her spoke. She didn't see which one because she refused to change her focus. "You will come willingly or you will be drug there out cold. Which would you prefer, little girl?"

"What would I prefer?" Kagome asked, looking over her shoulder with amusement dancing in her eyes. "I would like for you all to shut up and get the hell away from me!"

The one standing the closest to her, on her left, ran towards her, bringing his hand high up into the air as if he were about to punch her. Kagome swung her arm and sliced him across his chest. It hadn't been deep enough to kill, but enough to cause him to stumble back and to the ground.

One by one they all rushed her, only to receive the same as the one before until there was only on left standing in front of her.

"I told you that I don't play nice when I get violent." Kagome narrowed her eyes at the one that remained standing. "Have you gotten it or are you just as idiotic as your buddies?" She grasped the bag and held out the lighter. "If not, I'm sure I could give you a _special_ way out."

He chuckled before he held up his own blade, much larger than her own. "I don't know, how about you tell me. Our master will get what he wants, one way or another. I guess this time it will have to be another way."

He ran at her, swinging the blade down against her cheek, leaving a deep gash. Blood raced down her flesh, staining it a dark red, before she was sent to the ground by a punch to the other side of her face.

Kagome stood up quickly, knocking the man's feet out from underneath him, allowing her time to put more space between them. Once he stood, he ran back at her. This time Kagome was ready and dodged, slicing her blade against his shoulder.

The red staining his purple cape didn't stop him. He reached out to grip Kagome around her throat, ignoring her angered growl, and he slammed her into a brick wall.

Just as he was about to plunge the knife into her shoulder, something happened. The knife fell to the ground and into a puddle at her feet. The man fell next, dropping to his knees as he gripped his head.

"No!" He screamed, "I beg of you master, give me another chance!"

Kagome pressed herself closer to the wall behind her as darkness surrounded him. It burned her more than it had before.

"It won't happen again, I won't fail you!" He kept yelling nonsense before he suddenly fell silent, standing up to look her in the face.

"You're right. It won't happen again." A new voice spoke, coming from the same man before her. "You are of no service to me, at least, not anymore."

"What did you do to him?" Kagome narrowed her eyes, clutching the knife in her hand tighter. "And what is your name?"

He chuckled, a hand gently traveled up her body, beginning at her hip and going up to softly cup her cheek to wipe the blood away with no avail. "I've sent his mind to the shadow realm. I have no use of those who disobey me." Lavender eyes bore into her own crystal colored ones. She knew right away that he was fully controlling his body, and that she was staring right into the eyes of the true villain. "They all were commanded to bring you to me and not to cause you harm. They failed both of my orders. My name is Marik, and I find that you will remember me."

When he gently tugged her into his arms Kagome gasped and the knife fell, clattering to the ground nosily. Memories blossomed slowly in her mind, and she wished to cringe away from him.

It couldn't be him.

The Marik she knew was kind and he could never do any of this.

Tears welled in her eyes and she tried to break out of his grip.

But that was back then, more than five years ago. People could change so much in a span of time like that.

They had been just children so of course he was different.

The tears gilded down her cheeks in gentle streaks, smearing the blood even more, as she felt his grip her around her hips even tighter as he placed his head against her shoulder.

Seconds ticked by, dragging on and on, before he pulled away from her, remembering that it wasn't actually him. He looked at her, seeing her eyes clouded over with unshed tears. If he hadn't been controlling someone else, Marik would have thrown caution to the wind and kissed her. He would have done that, and much, much more.

Whatever it took to stop her tears.

He released his hold on the mentally dead body and allowed it to fall back and away from Kagome.

She fell to her knees, vision blurry, and ignored the sharp sting of the two blades lying on the ground digging into the exposed flesh of her legs. She placed her palms over her face, the black liner already a disaster, and she wept.

* * *

Marik tightened his grip on the Millennium Rod before throwing the glass half full of water against the wall across of him, shattering it into millions of tiny pieces.

He was shaking and he felt like he was about to snap. Marik tried ignoring what his mind was telling him. He clutched his head and doubled over slightly.

The Pharaoh would be ended, and he would then have the power of the puzzle. He would be king, and Kagome would be his queen. The most fitting place she would ever have.

"Master Marik?" The door was slid open and the pressure weighing in on his temple stopped when Odion walked into the room. "Are you alright?"

"I am fine, Odion." Marik glared out the window of the ship. "How much longer will it be until we reach Domino Port?"

"Not much longer. A few more days at most." Odion answered, "If everything is okay, they I shall leave you so you may get some sleep."

Marik nodded, eyeing the bed in disinterest. His dreams wouldn't be peaceful and he wouldn't sleep well, not if Kagome kept filling his mind...

* * *

Yugi was woken up early the next morning by the ringing of both the land line and his cell phone. His grandfather called him down, saying that Joey and Serenity's mother was asking to speak to him. He looked at his cell phone real quick, reading Souta's name before heading downstairs. He would call the younger boy back in a few minutes.

After talking to Joey's mother for a few minutes Yugi rushed back up the stairs to get dressed in a hurry, startling the Pharaoh from the puzzle.

"What is it, Yugi?"

"Joey never showed up at the hospital last night. He's missing." he answered in a hurry, picking up his cell phone to try and dial Kagome only to receive no answer. He frowned and called Souta back as he rushed back down the stairs and outside.

Souta answered after one ring and the first thing he said made Yugi feel as though ice had filled his core.

_"Have you seen Kagome-nee-chan?"_

"What do you mean?" Yugi asked, coming to a halt on the street, causing the Pharaoh to look at him in confusion.

_"She never came home yesterday. I just assumed that maybe she just crashed at one of you guys's house."_ Souta commented in worry. _"I've tried to get in touch with her nearly fifteen times in the last thirty minutes. She isn't answering her phone! Sesshoumaru is out looking for her, and so am I, but his nose isn't as strong in the city. The smells of fumes and other people can easily get him off track."_

Yugi could hear Souta's voice cracking as if he were close to tears.

"Don't worry, Souta. I'm sure she's around here somewhere. Her phone is probably just off. I'll find her."

_"Okay... Call me back if you find her or something."_

"I will." Yugi hung up his phone before quickly calling Tea and Tristan to let them know that they were now looking for both Kagome and Joey.

"What has happened to Kagome?" The Pharaoh looked at Yugi after he had finally put his phone back into his pocket.

"She never even went home last night." Yugi nibbled his bottom lip in worry. "What if something bad happened to them?"

"We can only look and try to find them."

Yugi nodded and began to run again.

* * *

After he had met up with Tea, they had went separate ways to try and find them while Tristan hunted Joey down on his bike to try and take him to the hospital.

Serenity refused to have her surgery if Joey wasn't there.

Nearly half an hour passed before he had found Joey. He drove past Yugi and Tea on his way, telling them both to focus on finding Kagome, and that he would help as soon as he left the hospital.

Their search narrowed down to just one person. That shouldn't be too hard.

Several hours ticked by and there still had been no sight of Kagome, but Yugi refused to give up. She was somewhere. She wouldn't give up if it were him or one of the others missing. The Pharaoh helped the best he could, trying to find a source of her energy to no avail.

Not much longer Yugi found himself running down a street leading to where she lived. It wasn't that far off from where they all parted ways the previous nights. On both sides of the street were two separate alleyways and he went to look there. She hadn't been in the first one he had checked, but the second one, right at the mouth of the alley, he saw Kagome sitting motionless against the bricks.

On the ground by her knees were two knifes, one was a pocket knife while the other was a hunting one. He kicked them out of the way before kneeling before her, spotting her tear and blood stained cheeks.

There was no one else around, yet she was staring blankly at the wall across from her. Yugi shook her gently before he realized that doing so wouldn't do anything. He shook her more violently, his worry only deepening when she still didn't respond. She was still breathing, but her skin was cool to the touch.

Yugi removed his jacket and wound it tightly around her shoulders.

He didn't know what to do, so he hurriedly called an ambulance. It arrived in under five minutes, two men rushing over to Kagome.

Yugi heard them mention a few words. As one of them carefully picked her up, the other raced back to the vehicle. The one holding Kagome close asked if he was going to ride to the hospital when her. Yugi nodded and got in, sitting next to Kagome as he watched them lay her down, covering her up to her neck with several blankets.

He reached under the blankets and took her hand, squeezing it tightly before using his other hand to call the others and tell them to head to the hospital.

* * *

Once they arrived, Joey met up with Yugi, following him down the hall to the waiting room while Kagome was taken elsewhere.

"Is she okay?"

Yugi shrugged, looking in worry in the direction Kagome had been taken in. "I don't know."

They waited together in silence as Souta and Sesshoumaru arrived before anyone else. Instead of looking neat and elegant, as he usually did, the silver haired man looked to be quite uneasy. He looked worried and angered. Even though he wore a dark blue suit, he looked as if he had just woken up.

Souta went to sit in an empty chair beside Yugi.

Not much longer, Tea and Tristan walked into the waiting room.

They all sat in silence, save for Sesshoumaru, who was quickly pacing back and forth.

It wasn't much longer when an older man walked into the waiting room to speak with them.

"The young miss will be just fine. Aside from the deep cut on her cheek, she received no terrible injuries." He took a look at the clipboard in his hand. "However, it seems that when she was found she was in a severe state of shock. We've given her a small dose of medicine to allow her to recover. She is in a state of unawareness, much like unconsciousness. She will need to stay here for a few days, until she comes out of it. You may visit her, but please do not disturb her. She must of had one upsetting time."

They silently filed into the room, spotting Kagome resting peacefully on the bed.

They all had one question floating in their head.

What happened?

* * *

SSOTD: Done. It didn't really end how I wanted it to, but I guess it's okay. I did put a part with Marik in there to kind of give you his point of view for a brief moment. Should I put more of it before the others meet him face to face?

Anyway, sucky ending, I know. xD I did not spell check, so I'm terribly sorry for any errors you might have seen.

I love your feedback. c:


	5. Chapter 5

SSOTD: Kick off of Kaiba's tournament. Not going to be a long chapter, probably a little over a thousand words or so.

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Four

* * *

It had been a few days since Kagome had been checked back into the hospital and she had yet to woken up. Everyday, they had went to visit her only to see no change in her state of consciousness.

The doctor said that she would wake up when she did and that they shouldn't worry. His words of comfort didn't do any good, and everyday they spent several hours keeping her company, even though she wasn't aware of it.

On the day before the Battle City Tournament started, Yugi carefully opened the door to her room and peeked at Kagome, hoping to see her sitting up and asking to go home. Taking a look around, however, he saw she was still lying motionless on the bed.

It felt weird; not having her around with the others, and he knew that they felt the same about the whole situation.

He walked into the room and sunk down in a plush chair next to the bed, watching her for a minute to try and catch any changes in her features. The Pharaoh made his presence known, sitting on the edge of the bed, and stared intently at Yugi before looking at Kagome.

They all wanted to know what had happened, but it seemed that it had bothered the Pharaoh more than any of them.

Yugi sighed and closed his eyes. He hoped she woke up soon. Battle City started tomorrow and he had hoped that Kagome would be there to cheer both Joey and himself on through the tournament. He knew Joey felt the same way.

* * *

Five minutes before the tournament started, Yugi took a look around to try and spot Joey.

He had already run into Mai, seen Rex, Weevil, and Mako, but he had yet to come across Joey in the huge herd of duelists and it couldn't be much longer before Kaiba announced the start of the tournament.

Kagome hadn't woken up yesterday or this morning like he had been hoping, so he had gotten ready and headed on to Battle City.

After Kaiba had done the announcements, Yugi looked down to spot Joey heading angrily through the crowd looking for someone, no doubt the Rare Hunter that had taken his Red Eyes Black Dragon. Wasting no time, he headed down to meet up with him

* * *

Kagome rolled over, groaning in discomfort before she sat up.

"Well, good morning, sleepyhead." An amused voice greeted her and she turned to look at a older woman, about in her late thirties, who had burgundy hair and olive eyes. "You've been out for quite a while. Can I get you anything?"

"Anything to drink would be nice." Kagome rubbed her eyes and took a look around. Great. Just great. She was in the hospital yet again.

The nurse left quickly and headed back down the hallway. Not even five minutes later, Tristan ducked his head into the room.

"Well hey." He sent her a smile. "You've had everyone worried."

"What are you doing here?" Kagome offered him a smile as the nurse came back in with a cup of orange juice.

"I was actually keeping an eye on Serenity while Joey's at Battle City. I came and checked on you when I first got here. The nurse came and got me to let me know you were up. How you feeling?"

"Like I've been hit by a truck, smashed by a tree, and oddly enough, like I've been through a dishwasher."

Tristan placed a hand to her forehead. "Maybe you need more sleep."

Kagome shook her head and stood up, reaching for the bag that had been place by the bed to take out the change of clothes. Once again she was thankful for Souta's thoughtfulness. "Battle City started? When?"

"Just this morning. Yugi came by to check on you this morning, but he had to leave shortly after I got here. Why?" Tristan asked. "You can't seriously be wanting to go down there right after you just woke up from, what could be considered as, a coma."

"I am, and I will." Kagome looked up at him. "Are you seriously planning on trying to stop me? Keep in mind we are on the fourth story and the window is right over there."

"Right-O." Tristan nodded. "You change and get going, I'll just go and keep Serenity company."

Kagome smiled. "Tell her I hope she recovers soon."

"Will do."

* * *

Kagome raced down the street as fast as she could. After a little hassle at the hospital about her leaving as she did, she deemed herself to be making decent time. She rushed into the entrance of the tournament "grounds" and began to look for either Yugi or Joey. If they were dueling then there was not a chance of them answering their phones, even if she was calling them.

She stopped in her running to look at her reflection in the tinted windows of a store. The cut on her cheek had healed up, leaving only a faint, small scar in it's place. Her hair was a mess, but that was to be expected since she had gotten a quick shower before leaving the hospital. Her clothes were simple but looked terrific on her.

A radiant yellow blouse that ended right above her belly button under a white jacket that was the same length, and a sea foam colored skirt that came to end mid-thigh. She wore her black, knee-high boots and thigh high white and yellow zig-zag socks.

As she took off running again, Kagome rounded a corner, finally spotting Yugi and Joey just a little while away. Yugi was in the middle of a duel with a Rare Hunter, as it seemed and it didn't look to be going well for him.

_"YUGI!"_ Kagome shouted, running up to him. She caught his attention and came to a stop next to Joey, giving him a confused look. "You have no idea what I physically feel like, but you need to hurry and finish this duel."

Yugi nodded, feeling better that he ever had at seeing Kagome take a spot next to Joey.

It wasn't much longer before the duel took a turn for the best, turning it to Yugi's favor. A few turns after Kagome had showed up he won.

He had, somehow, managed to defeat the all mighty Exodia prior to it being summoned. Kagome let out a loud cheer before rushing up to hug him tightly. A few seconds later, the same thing that had happened to the guy that had tried to hurt Kagome, happened to the man Yugi had just defeated.

Yugi and Joey both took a protective step in front of Kagome.

Marik used the man like a puppet to communicate with them before he abruptly fell to the ground, his mind sentenced to the Shadow Realm.

* * *

SSOTD: Done! Not long, but hey, I didn't plan for it to be. No spell check, so if there are any errors, please feel free to let me know and I'll fix them right up.

Battle City has started, and it's getting closer and closer to when Marik will arrive on the scene.

Hope you enjoyed!

Review&&Favorite&&Follow, please. Thanks, dears!


End file.
